Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS)

10/09/2026

Fire prevention doesn’t start with a fire truck. It starts with a permit. 🔥
This Fire Prevention Week, we’re proud to power CAL FIRE’s Office of the State Fire Marshal with GOVmotus//FIRE. Plan reviews, inspections, permits, and licensing, all online. Faster for applicants. Safer for California.

If your jurisdiction is looking for this solution, contact us [email protected]

10/06/2026

This year marks 50 years of the U.S. Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program which has reached more than 7.2 million households since 1976. It's a good moment to revisit what strong program management delivers on the ground.

In 2026, IBTS helped deliver weatherization improvements to 103 households across Puerto Rico in just six weeks, supporting safer, more energy-efficient homes and helping reduce residents' energy costs.

Acting as the Project Management Office on behalf of the Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development and Commerce for the U.S. Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program Formula Grant, IBTS provided project management and oversight for energy-efficiency upgrades and health-and-safety improvements. Despite a compressed timeline and technology-system challenges, the team kept residents' needs and mission delivery at the center.

This dedication helped the team exceed its goal of 100 homes while achieving 98% participant satisfaction, delivering meaningful results for some of the most vulnerable populations including low-income families, older adults, and residents with disabilities.

As WAP enters its second half-century, IBTS remains ready to bring that same project management discipline to vulnerable households across every community this program serves.

Read more about IBTS' contributions to this project in this press release: https://www.ibts.org/puerto-rico-weatherization-program-delivers-energy-savings-economic-benefits-for-vulnerable-households

09/30/2026

Year after year, flood risks continue to grow, reaching communities that may not have previously prioritized floodplain management. As a result, local leaders need practical strategies to reduce risk and protect their communities.

For National Preparedness Month, we’re sharing insights from more than 15 years of floodplain management across 30+ jurisdictions in Louisiana and member communities of the Mid-America Regional Council. We sat down with Brandon Whitehead, IBTS Floodplain Manager, to discuss how communities can draw on our experience to reduce flood risk. Brandon highlighted the success of the City of Central, Louisiana, which, in partnership with IBTS, improved from a Class 7 rating on FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS) to Class 5, saving residents and businesses 25% on flood insurance premiums.

See our insights here:

Flood risk and insurance costs are growing concerns for many municipalities — but with the right strategies, local governments can make measurable progress in protecting lives, property, and budgets. 

09/28/2026

What does it take to deliver resilient housing at scale in the Caribbean? Hint: it's not just funds! 🏠🌀

In our latest blog, we recap New Energy's 10th Caribbean Infrastructure Forum (CARIF) in Miami, where IBTS Director of Federal Programs James Turner, EIT, CMQ, CQA, joined Bermuda housing leader Jeane Nikolai and Caribbean business executive André C. Walcott on stage to tackle one of the region's toughest challenges: building safe, affordable homes that can stand up to hurricanes and flooding. Check it out: https://www.ibts.org/what-does-it-take-to-deliver-resilient-housing-at-scale-in-the-caribbean-hint-it-s-not-just-funds

James brings nearly 20 years of experience in housing standards and regulation, and he and his fellow panelists made one thing clear: funding alone won't close the gap.

So, what will? Find out what the panel said it really takes!

09/25/2026

Our team has evaluated more than 8,500 solar installations across all 78 of Puerto Rico's municipalities. The biggest lesson from all of them: resilience depends on the details. Is the wiring right? Does the array on the roof actually match the stamped plans? Was it inspected by someone independent? Does the installer know what the last thousand projects got wrong?

That was our message yesterday at DAKI's Wind & Hybrid Renewable Energy Symposium in San Juan, where we joined people from across the Island who are building Puerto Rico's energy future.

Agnes Crespo Quintana, our Caribbean Region Director, and Carlos López Maisonave, PE, Senior Monitor for our Energy Program, showed how our FIT-QM inspection platform answers that last question. It draws on data from thousands of solar inspections across the U.S. and Puerto Rico to make every inspection more accurate and consistent. But the data only matters if it reaches the people doing the work, so we turn what we find into contractor training, clearer standards, and better processes.

That's the role we've played across Puerto Rico: evaluating solar installations, helping municipalities plan for resilience, protecting consumers, supporting grid studies, and training the next generation of energy workers. We're not the ones putting panels on roofs. Our job is to make sure the people who do have the tools and knowledge to get it right.

Thank you, Jorge Rodriguez Ruiz and your team at DAKI, for bringing us together. If you're around, head to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico; you'll see the DAKI-built public plaza energy system that runs entirely on sun, wind, and batteries, fully off the grid. It's a good picture of what getting it right looks like. 🌬️☀️🔋 Learn more: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587030450613

09/24/2026

As part of our commitment to supporting local governments in Puerto Rico, and our partnership with the Municipality of Fajardo, IBTS is assisting in the crafting of an economic development ecosystem focused on entrepreneurship, business growth, innovation, and long-term economic resilience.
IBTS is working closely with municipal officials in Fajardo, guiding them through the process of identifying, refining, and implementing the most effective strategies to establish programs that support local entrepreneurs and stimulate economic growth across the region.
"Yesterday's visit was an incredibly productive one; our conversations took Fajardo one step closer to getting from planning to ex*****on," our Director of the Caribbean Region Agnes Crespo-Quintana said. "Thanks for having us and can't wait to continue holding hands on this path," she added.

09/22/2026

The National Association of Counties (NACo) helps guide IBTS from a seat on our Board of Directors; needless to say, understanding what counties are up against isn't a side project for us, it's how we decide where to show up next.

That's why we're heading to the 2026 NACo Energy Symposium. As counties weigh battery storage, solar and wind, and data center development, we're bringing field experience from tens of thousands of solar and storage inspections across the nation to help county leaders ask the right questions before construction begins. Just as important, we're there to listen.

Heading to the even? Stop by the IBTS booth and tell us what energy projects are coming to your county. 👋

Sept. 23–25 Armstrong, Carson and Potter Counties, Texas

Learn more about the symposium: https://www.naco.org/event/2026-naco-energy-symposium

09/18/2026

What comes after recovery?

For many communities, the answer is long-term investment in the people, infrastructure, and housing that support future growth.

In our latest blog, we explore how ongoing efforts in the U.S. Virgin Islands are helping lay the groundwork for stronger communities and new opportunities for residents for years to come.

Read the full article: https://www.ibts.org/building-the-future-of-housing-in-the-us-virgin-islands

Access to safe, affordable, and resilient housing remains one of the most pressing challenges facing communities across the U.S. Virgin Islands. Addressing that challenge requires more than new construction. It calls for coordination among residents, government leaders, regulatory agencies, housing....

09/17/2026

IBTS Senior Program Director Matt Vaughn-Zyjewski joined students at State University (LSU) last week as a guest speaker for the university's Local Government Management course (PADM 4000), sharing firsthand insights from his work helping communities address complex challenges and achieve lasting results.

Drawing on IBTS' support of the Cities of St. George and Central, Louisiana, Matt discussed the qualities that define effective local government leadership, including servant leadership, accountability, strategic partnerships, and data-driven decision making. He also shared practical approaches for helping local governments remain responsive to community needs, attract and retain top talent, and adapt to an increasingly dynamic public sector environment.

What does effective local government leadership look like in practice? Through real-world examples and lessons learned in the field, Matt demonstrated how strong leadership, collaboration, and innovation can help local governments navigate growth, infrastructure demands, and other evolving priorities while continuing to deliver meaningful outcomes for residents.

IBTS values opportunities like this to connect academic learning with real-world experience, helping prepare the next generation of local government leaders while strengthening partnerships with institutions such as LSU.

09/16/2026

Building resilient energy systems starts with building a skilled workforce.
Yesterday in Alaska, Rudy Saporite IBTS Program Director of Energy & Sustainability, participated in the NGA Governors' Advisors Energy Policy Institute Roundtable, sharing lessons learned on the other side of the country related to workforce development. The discussion focused on building adaptable workforce models that prepare communities not only to maintain critical energy infrastructure, but also to respond and recover when disasters occur.

During the session, Rudy emphasized how island communities face unique challenges, but they also offer some of the strongest examples of resilience. Rudy talked about how the same professionals who install, inspect, maintain, and troubleshoot energy systems during normal operations are often the people communities depend on for damage assessment, temporary power, and restoration efforts after an emergency.

The National Governors Association, which is represented in IBTS' board of directors, helps bring together leaders to address issues shaping states and communities nationwide. We appreciate the opportunity to contribute to this important discussion on workforce development, preparedness, and resilience.